Ancient World Empires

What happens when great empires vanish without a clear trace? Echoes of Ancient Forgotten Empires seeks to answer that question by exploring the powerful civilizations that once dominated regions across the Old World—only to be lost to time, conquest, or natural disaster. These empires may not appear in mainstream history books, but their influence still lingers in the cultures, languages, and traditions that followed. This audiobook brings their stories back to life through a vivid blend of archaeology, historical research, and storytelling.

This is the first volume in a bold new series that tells the stories of all peoples, connecting historical events from Europe to the Middle East to the far coast of China, while still giving weight to the characteristics of each country. Susan Wise Bauer provides both sweeping scope and vivid attention to the individual lives that give flesh to abstract assertions about human history. This narrative history employs the methods of "history from beneath" - literature, epic traditions, private letters, and accounts - to connect kings and leaders with the lives of those they ruled.

The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes investigates the trade routes between Rome and the powerful empires of inner Asia, including the Parthian regime which ruled ancient Persia (Iran). It explores Roman dealings with the Kushan Empire which seized power in Bactria (Afghanistan) and laid claim to the Indus Kingdoms. Further chapters examine the development of Palmyra as a leading caravan city on the edge of Roman Syria and consider trade ventures through the Tarim territories that led Roman merchants to Han China.

In the 6th century AD, the Near East was divided between two venerable empires: the Persian and the Roman. A hundred years on and one had vanished forever, while the other seemed almost finished. Ruling in their place were the Arabs: an upheaval so profound that it spelt, in effect, the end of the ancient world. In The Shadow of the Sword, Tom Holland explores how this came about.

Here in a single volume is the entire, unabridged recording of Gibbon's masterpiece. Beginning in the second century A.D. at the apex of the Pax Romana, Gibbon traces the arc of decline and complete destruction through the centuries across Europe and the Mediterranean. It is a thrilling and cautionary tale of splendor and ruin, of faith and hubris, and of civilization and barbarism. Follow along as Christianity overcomes paganism... before itself coming under intense pressure from Islam.

Brought to you by Penguin. AS SEEN ON TV Professor Alice Roberts travels 1,300 miles by train across Italy, France and Spain in search of a greater understanding of the Roman Empire for Channel 4's popular TV series Roman Empire by Train with Alice Roberts. Visiting sites often off the beaten...

Travel across thousands of years and countless cultures with this lively, informative, and entertaining exploration of ancient civilizations. Covering the period from 3500 BC to 1500 AD, this audiobook blends history, storytelling, and humour into a single guide that’s as enjoyable as it is enlightening. Whether you’re a lifelong history fan or simply curious about how ancient civilizations shaped the world, you’ll find plenty to learn, laugh at, and share.

Bloomsbury presents Athens and Sparta by Adrian Goldsworthy, read by Mark Elstob. Two great cities. One fierce rivalry. Countless untold stories. Athens and Sparta were the two big players in Ancient Greece. United, they helped lead the Greeks in defeating the great Persian invasion. Divided...

Some 250 years after its first publication, Gibbon's Decline and Fall is still regarded as one of the greatest histories in Western literature. He reports on more than 1,000 years of an empire which extended from the most northern and western parts of Europe to deep into Asia and Africa and covers not only events but also the cultural and religious developments that effected change during that time.

"May Steven Saylor's Roman empire never fall. A modern master of historical fiction, Saylor convincingly transports us into the ancient world...enthralling!" —USA Today on Roma Continuing the saga begun in his New York Times bestselling novel Roma, Steven Saylor charts the destinies of the...

On the horizons of many warring tribes, Roman warriors, knights from chivalric orders, and the devoted penniless appeared on a divine mission ready to conquer with an appetite for destruction, salvation, and a higher purpose. Pax Romana. Had the world ever seen the magnitude of empires as it did in the Roman Empires that would unhinge themselves from their very foundation in their attempt to dominate over kings, lords, and tribes?

Before Rome. Before Persia. Before Egypt's pyramids were old. One man invented empire. Around 2334 BCE, a cupbearer of mysterious origins seized the throne of Kish and built something the world had never seen: a single state governing multiple peoples, languages, and gods across thousands of miles of Mesopotamian heartland. His name was Sargon. His dynasty would last five generations. His experiment would shape every empire that followed.

In this comprehensive survey, updated for this new edition, Henderson explores the entire Maya cultural tradition, from the earliest traces of settlement through the period of the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. His wide-ranging account treats diverse aspects of the Maya world, from religion and philosophy to the environments of the various Maya peoples, using deciphered Maya texts to reconstruct the ancient societies.

Listen to this audiobook to learn more about Hellenistic World and Alexander the Great!

Studies have shown that developing an “atomic habit”—just doing a few minutes a day of whatever skill or habit you want to take on—can be more than enough to engrain it into our lives. Therefore, we have transformed timeless, legendary stories into 10-minute bite-size chunks long enough to entertain, enthrall, and even educate the listener but short enough to be enjoyed quickly at bedtime or any other point in our busy modern days.

The Crusades shook the world. But why did they happen? Their origins are revealed in a new light. As part of a medieval world war that stretched from Asia to Europe. At its center was an ancient empire Byzantium. Told for the first time as a single, linked narrative are three great events that changed history: The fall of Byzantium in the 11th century, the epic campaign of the First Crusade and the origins of modern Turkey. Nick Holmes not only presents the First Crusade in a wider global context but he also puts forwards new interpretations of the original sources.

History of the Ancient World: Ancient Civilizations, and Ancient Empires. History that Defined our World offers a tantalizing glimpse into our vast and complex ancient history that is sure to inspire further study. There is a lot to be learned from ancient history.

Immerse yourself in an epic historical journey: The Akkadian Empire: The Rise and Fall of the World's First Empire. Welcome to a narrative of power and civilization, where history unfurls in thrilling detail and academic rigor is wrapped in a tapestry of storytelling. This is more than a book; it's a journey to the very dawn of empires and the heart of human ambition. Through this examination, the book will shine a light on the broader struggles and conflicts that tested the mettle of the Akkadian Empire.

We promise that once you’ve finished the audiobook, you’ll not only take away a wealth of information, but you’ll own the experience as if you’ve lived it yourself! Allow us then to guide you through the mysterious, fascinating and magnificent histories of Ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Rome and explore the gods, goddesses, kings, queens, mythology, culture, battles, beliefs, love, war, and more.

Volume Two begins with the accession of the Roman Emperor Valens in the year 364, a period which heralded vast movements of barbarian tribes from the north and east. The Huns move from the confines of Mongolia westward into Europe, pushing the German tribes in terror before them, who in turn move across the Rhine and Danube into Roman territory. The names of Goths, Franks, Lombards and Vandals will become part of the daily vocabulary. Gibbon describes in matchless style the dramatic events as the Western Roman Empire disintegrates under the pressure of Germanic invasion and internal corruption.